- January 29, 2024
Himachal Pradesh’s Forward-Thinking Budget and Development Initiatives for 2024-25
Himachal Pradesh’s Forward-Thinking Budget and Development Initiatives for 2024-25
CM chairs MLA Priority meeting
Rs. 9989.49 croreannual plan proposed for the year 2024-25: CM
MLAs from Una, Hamirpur and Sirmaur districts present priorities in 1stsession
Revolutionary Economic Blueprint for Himachal Pradesh Laid Out for 2024-25
In a groundbreaking stride toward sustainable growth, Himachal Pradesh has earmarked a substantial Rs. 9989.49 crore for its annual budget for the fiscal year 2024-25. Spearheading this progressive agenda, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced the plan during a pivotal assembly with elected legislators from Una, Hamirpur, and Sirmaur districts.
Committing to an ambitious goal, CM Sh. Sukhu articulated the state’s vision to attain self-sufficiency within the next four years and emerge as the most prosperous state across India in a decade. The assembly provided a platform for the MLAs to align their district priorities with the government’s overarching vision of a clean, transparent, and accountable administration.
The administration voiced a solid pledge to equitable growth across regions and communities, adopting the Congress party’s manifesto as a guiding ‘Policy Document’. Its meticulous execution is the shared endeavor of ministers, MLAs, and governmental departments who are leaving no stone unturned in this collective mission.
Highlighting the state’s venture into renewable energy, the Chief Minister revealed a landmark deal: a Rs. 2,000 crore memorandum with the World Bank underpinning a Hydroelectric and Renewable Energy Development Programme over the next half-decade. Meanwhile, MLA priorities have traditionally garnered funding from NABARD, with the previous year registering an impressive allocation of Rs. 918.81 crores. With an array of sanctioned development works already in motion, the authorities are doubling down to maximize NABARD’s budget outlay for 2024-25 with fiscal diligence.
| MLA Name | Constituency | Stated Priorities |
|————————|———————— |—————————————————————————————————————|
| Satpal Singh Satti | Una | Completion of old works, continued financial aid post-disaster for infrastructure like retaining walls. |
| Chaitanya Sharma | Gagret | Establishment of Daulatpur Chowk College and School on separate premises, addressing drug mafia activities. |
| Devendra Bhutto | Kutlehar | Increase in diet money for athletes, transparency in sports associations, handling of stray animal issues. |
| Suresh Kumar | Bhoranj | Channelization of Seer Khad, construction of a multipurpose hall in Bhoranj School, addressing poor quality of NH construction. |
| Ashish Sharma | Hamirpur | Gratitude for budget allocation for a new bus stand, requests for a polyclinic and a new mini secretariat. |
| Inder Dutt Lakhanpal | Basar | Improvement of irrigation, electricity infrastructure, drainage along roads, establishment of a new police station at Bijhari.
| Reena Kashyap | Pachhad | Promotion of tourism at Shirgul and Bhureshwar temples and other tourist spots, preparation of DPR for Sarahan-Chandigarh road.
| Ajay Solanki | Nahan | Acknowledgment of budget announcement, demands for filling medical staff vacancies, land allocation for the landless. |
| Sukhram Chaudhary | Paonta | Demarcation of Yamuna River border to stop illegal mining, addressing pending electricity connections for tube wells, creating parking facilities in Paonta Sahib. |
CM Sh. Sukhu directed administrative heads to ensure the timely execution of MLA-initiated schemes while facilitating the quick processing of various formalities—be it forest clearances or land-related matters—to circumvent delays in project proposals.
Sincere efforts by the current government underscore its dedication to nurturing all societal strata, spanning women, youths, farmers, and public servants. Landmark governmental schemes have seen materialization, from operationalizing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in the inaugural cabinet session to initiating an e-taxi scheme for employment creation, under the aegis of the Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Start-up initiative.
Metrics of these welfare activities are already palpable: milk buying prices have seen an increase, thereby boosting farmers’ income, while MNREGA wages have escalated to Rs. 240, a move favoring nine lakh citizens, notably 65% of whom are women.
Sh. Sukhu also shed light on the Mukhya Mantri Sukh-Asharya Kosh—a welfare reservoir for orphans and vulnerable citizens. Through this, the ‘Children of the State’ initiative has adopted 4,000 orphans, endorsing their welfare and education until the age of 27.
Persistent in the face of adversity, such as last monsoon’s unprecedented disaster, which was navigated without bespoke relief packages from the central authority, the state government proactively curated a specialized aid package worth Rs. 4,500 crores. Affected individuals now receive free utilities, subsidized construction materials, and enhanced compensation for damaged property.
Numerous legislators shared their developmental aspirations and challenges during the session—from calls for infrastructure completion funds to demands for combating the drug menace, improving local irrigation systems, sports funding transparency, and bolstering healthcare staffing.
With Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, finance, planning advisors, and other key officials in attendance, the meeting crystallized as a testament to Himachal Pradesh’s unwavering commitment to its people and future prosperity.
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